From March 28–29, 2025, some of the Alaska CHL Food Systems Team attended the Alaska Food Policy Council’s (AFPC) sesquiannual Alaska Food Festival and Conference—held for the first time “off the road system” in beautiful and blustery Kodiak, Alaska. Jennifer Galbreath (Alaska Trainee and Nutritional Sciences PhD Candidate, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) and Amelia Sikes (Alaska Project Coordinator, University of Alaska Fairbanks) enjoyed participating in this statewide event that brought together food producers, educators, advocates, Tribal and governmental entities, and other stakeholders to increase public awareness of Alaska food issues, provide training and networking, and build cross-sector connections to strengthen local food systems.
Jennifer presented during the Community Food Security Solutions track, sharing her graduate assistantship work with Dr. Jean Butel (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) and Dr. Karen Franck (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) on a project titled “Assessing and Measuring Food Security in U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Households: A Scoping Review.” Both Jennifer and Amelia also shared their reflections on the conference experience in an episode of Corn Convos.